Courtney Conlogue Photo Courtesy of US Open Of Surfing

GrindTV Newswire, Via US Open Of Surfing: HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA (Monday, August 2, 2010) The Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Women's 6-Star US Open of Surfing presented by Hurley and Nike 6.0 saw reigning three-time ASP Women's World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 22, and defending event champion Courtney Conlogue (Santa Ana, CA), 17, fall in Round 3 of competition today with Carissa Moore (Honolulu, HI), 17, and Laura Enever (AUS), 18, advancing through the stacked heat in tricky two-to-four foot (1 metre) South Huntington Beach Pier conditions.

Surfers competing at the ASP 6-Star US Open of Surfing are out to claim the priceless ratings points towards qualification for the ASP Women's Dream Tour. Accompanying the ratings points this year will be a groundbreaking $50,000 for the 2010 Women's US Open of Surfing Champion.

Moore emerged victorious in the paramount heat, which split first and third places by less than one point to advance through to the Round of 12 by capitalizing on the Huntington Beach right-handers. The Hawaiian prodigy unleashed flashy tail-drifting turns while finishing strong on the inside to take out the win.

"It was a Round 3 heat with Steph (Gilmore), Laura (Enever) and Courtney (Conlogue)," Moore said. "That could have very well been a Final. You have the World Champion and defending event champion, so it was just crazy. Every one of those girls just rips and especially with the conditions out here, it's a little random, so everyone can do anything at anytime."

Moore's massive heat victory also keeps her in the running for the historic $50,000 prize-purse in place for this year's Women's US Open of Surfing winner, the largest in women's professional surfing history.

"It's pretty crazy that Nike decided to step up and decided to put fifty grand for first place for the girls," Moore said. "I think it's awesome. There's a lot more on the line and a lot more excitement and I think it's great to have them support us like that."

Enever, who is the reigning ASP Women's World Junior Champion, escaped the heavy heat over Conlogue by three 10ths of a point to advance to the Round of 12 and after an impressive run in yesterday's ASP Grade-2 Pro Junior event, the young Australian is hoping to build momentum in an attempt to take out the monumental prize purse.

"I had some good heats yesterday in the Pro Junior and then to come back today and make it through that heat, it's been a really amazing contest so far and it's only been the first two days," Enever said. "I'm stoked and hopefully I can just make it as far as I can. It'd be great to take the 50 grand, but I guess anything is possible now after that heat."

Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 19, current ASP Women's Dream Tour No. 2, detonated the event's highest scores in her Round of 24 heat, blasting a near perfect 9.00 out of 10 while accumulating the highest heat total of 17.17 out of 20.
"It's good to get two rounds out of the way," Fitzgibbons said. "I was feeling really good out there and in rhythm of the sets. It was fun out there."

Fitzgibbons, who has three consecutive runner-up finishes in the last three ASP Women's World Title events and was the winner of the Portuguese based ASP 6-Star event earlier this season, also has her eye on the landmark $50,000 prize purse but knows there is still a long road ahead.

"It's super early days, but it's fantastic that Nike has put up the money," Fitzgibbons said. "It makes it all the more exciting. There is a long way to go yet, but it'd be a nice incentive."

Lakey Peterson (Santa Barbara, CA), 15, who is an event wildcard, smashed some of the day's top scores in her opening heat. The young Californian put on an impressive first showing on the international stage to eliminate current ASP Dream Tour campaigners Paige Hareb (NZL), 20, and Bruna Schmitz (BRA), 20, and is now only one of 12 competitors remaining in the event.

"The waves were really tricky and it could have gone either way in all of them," Peterson said. "I felt really good in my first heat and my second heat was kind of just whoever got the best waves really. I'm just really excited to make it to the Round before the Quarterfinals."

Peterson, who is competing in her first ever ASP Star rated event, was thrilled to capitalize on the ever-important ratings points at the ASP 6-Star event while being a part of women's surfing history with Nike 6.0's donation of the increased prize purse.

"This is my first ASP Star event," Peterson said. "Today gives me a lot of confidence and to be a part of this event with the biggest prize purse in women's history is a big honor."

Tomorrow, the Mens ASP Prime event will begin directly following the Womens WQS Six-Star Round of 12. Day Four action of the US Open of Surfing will feature the start of its LIVE webcasting [via www.usopenofsurfing.com], heats on demand and FREE live music.

Performing will be Soft Pack and Cold War Kids. Music starts at 4:00 PM.

For complimentary high-res photos and video downloads log on to http://usopenofsurfing.com/downloads.
For additional ASP information log on to www.aspworldtour.com or www.aspnorthamerica.org.

US Open of Surfing Women's Round of 24 Results:


Heat 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.94, Laura Enever (AUS) 14.67, Courtney Conlogue (USA) 14.37, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 10.30


Heat 2: Lakey Peterson (USA) 9.50, Tyler Wright (AUS) 9.07, Sayuri Hashimoto (JPN) 10.10, Paige Hareb (NZL) 4.00


Heat 3: Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 7.33, Chantelle Rautenbach (ZAF) 6.66, Malia Manuel (HAW) 6.40, Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 4.87


Heat 4: Justine Dupont (FRA) 11.83, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 8.50, Sage Erickson (USA) 7.73, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 4.43


Heat 5: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 17.17, Sarah Baum (ZAF) 13.60, Cannelle Bulard (REU) 7.70, Karina Petroni (USA) 6.17


Heat 6: Alana Blanchard (HAW) 11.57, Nicola Atherton (AUS) 8.93, Claudia Goncalves (BRA) 5.07, Mizuki Hagiwara (JPN) 3.95

US Open of Surfing Women's Round of 48 Results:


Heat 1: Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.07, Tyler Wright (AUS) 12.93, Pauline Ado (FRA) 11.87, Arini Mason (NZL) 5.93


Heat 2: Courtney Conlogue (USA) 15.34, Paige Hareb (NZL) 9.13, Valaria Sole (PER) 5.50, Gabi Cope (HAW) 3.17


Heat 3: Lakey Peterson (USA) 15.50, Laura Enever (AUS) 11.74, Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 6.26, Natalie Anzavino (USA) 6.06


Heat 4: Sayuri Hashimoto (JPN) 10.10, Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 8.57, Laurina McGrath (AUS) 5.47, Francisca Santos (PRT) 4.43


Heat 5: Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 8.06, Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 7.23, Anastasia Ashley (USA) 3.93, Ornella Pellizzari (ARG) 2.53


Heat 6: Malia Manuel (HAW) 13.84, Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 12.03, Leila Hurst (HAW) 9.93, Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 8.73


Heat 7: Sage Erickson (USA) 11.73, Claire Bevilacqua (AUS) 8.90, Keleigh Gilchrist (USA) 8.53, Nage Melamed (HAW) 5.20


Heat 8: Justine Dupont (FRA) 10.00, Chantelle Rautenbach (ZAF) 8.23, Silvana Lima (BRA) 7.47, Joana Rocha (PRT) 2.64


Heat 9: Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 12.60, Claudia Goncalves (BRA) 7.73, Freya Prumm (AUS) 7.43, Erica Hosseini (USA) 6.73


Heat 10: Canelle Bulard (REU) 6.16, Alana Blanchard (HAW) 5.17, Lee Ann Curren (FRA) 4.13, Shelby Detmers (USA) 2.86


Heat 11: Nicola Atherton (AUS) 12.00, Karina Petroni (USA) 10.77, Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 9.40, Leilani Gryde (HAW) 5.94


Heat 12: Mizuki Hagiwara (JPN) 7.93, Sarah Baum (ZAF) 7.26, Bethany Hamilton (HAW) 5.87, Coco Ho (HAW) 4.84



US Open of Surfing Women's Round of 60 Results:


Heat 1: Tyler Wright (AUS) 6.50, Valeria Sole (PER) 6.44, Alessa Quizon (HAW) 5.07, Amy Nicholl (USA) 3.50


Heat 2: Natalie Anvizino (USA) 10.76, Laurina McGrath (AUS) 5.07, Jessica Santorik (NZL) 4.60, Louisa Noble (GBR) 1.64


Heat 3: Felicity Palmateer (AUS) 10.33, Leila Hurst (HAW) 8.14, Bailey Nagy (HAW) 8.07, Amy Stewart (AUS) 4.37


Heat 4: Nage Melamed (HAW) 12.90, Chantelle Rautenbach (ZAF) 8.25, Monyca Byrne-Wickey (HAW) 7.04, Mackenzie Kissler (USA) 0.50


Heat 5: Freya Prumm (AUS) 8.53, Cannelle Bulard (REU) 7.77, Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 7.60, Quincy Davis (USA) 6.27


Heat 6: Karina Petroni (USA) 10.34, Sarah Baum (ZAF) 9.24, Brittani Nicholl (AUS) 7.20, Bo Stanley (USA) 4.13

PICK SIX: TUESDAY

Day four action

The Men's ASP Prime event begins tomorrow morning, Aug 3. Women's Round 4 will start at 8:00 AM, followed directly by the Men's Main Event at 9:15 AM, where $100,000 is up for grabs. Here's what to watch for.

1. Women's 6-Star - Round 4 - Heat 1
Carissa Moore (HAW)
Lakey Peterson (USA)
Chantelle Rautenbach (ZAF)

World Tour standout, Carissa Moore will take on top Junior surfer, Lakey Peterson as well as South Africa's Chantelle Rautenbach. Two quarterfinal spots are up for grabs.

2. Women's 6-Star - Round 4 - Heat 2
Laura Enever (AUS)
Tyler Wright (AUS)
Claire Bevilacqua (AUS)

An all-Australian affair - the Round four match up will see Laura Enever and Tyler Wright battle against World Tour surfer Claire Bevilacqua. Expect to see a highly competitive heat as a $50,000 first place prize is on the line.

3. Men's Prime - Round 1 - Heat 5
Cory Lopez (USA)
Miguel Pupo (BRA)
Torrey Meister (HAW)
Tom Curren (USA)

The heat-of-the-contest thus far: three-time World Champion Tom Curren takes on former World Tour surfer Cory Lopez, junior standout Miguel Pupo and Hawaiian ripper Torrey Mesiter.

4. Men's Prime - Round 1 - Heat 12
Yadin Nicol (AUS)
Jonathan Gonzales (CNY)
Paulo Moura (BRA)
Dane Gudauskas (USA)

Yadin Nicol, one of the most exciting surfers in the world, is up against local Dane Gudauskas, Paulo Moura and Jonathan Gonzales, who made the trip over from the Canaray Islands.

5. Men's Prime - Round 1 - Heat 15
Lincoln Taylor (AUS)
Julian Wilson (AUS)
Kai Barger (HAW)
Brent Dorrington (AUS)

Julian Wilson, voted to surf in the WPS All-Star event later this week, gets started in the Men's Prime event. Standing in his way are Kai Barger, Lincoln Taylor and Brent Dorrington.

6. Concert Stage - 4-7 PM - Cold War Kids and Soft Pack

The largest free music festival in the world starts Tuesday afternoon with the Soft Pack taking the stage at 4 PM, followed by the Cold War Kids. Come enjoy the free music on the sand at the HB Pier.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Pick Six as Men's Round 2 starts Wednesday's action at 7:30 AM.

She may be a red-hot 17-year-old rookie, but when it's all said and done, Carissa Moore won't be defined by her cutback. She drilled that point home on Thursday after winning the second ASP tour event of her young surfing career.

While accepting her trophy, Moore donated her entire $15,000 earnings to the local Waitara Bar Boardriders Club, a place where more than 180 kids hang out in a safe environment and are groomed in all things ocean related. The club, which is staffed by an small army of volunteers, does wonders for keeping those kids out of trouble.

The gift is a ringing endorsement to those volunteers who've spent countless hours renovating the once condemned building into a safe and comfortable hangout. It also speaks volumes to the job they're doing with the kids, who Moore fell in love with during her brief stay in New Zealand.

"The Haka that the Waitara Bar Boardriders Club performed before the event was beautiful and they've really opened up their community and waves to us," she said, explaining her gesture. "For this, I am very thankful."

Moore actually lives up to the role model standard. An accomplishment that's all the more impressive considering her surfing prowess placed her under microscope of media and marketing machines at the age of 12. Yet even today, as one of the most well-known surfers in the sport, she maintains the same sweet and disarming personality she had as a sixth grader There's zero trace of entitlement in the way she walks, talks or carries herself.

And that's no accident.

Years ago I spoke to her father Chris Moore about what the biggest struggles were in raising an athletic prodigy of sorts. He quickly put his daughter's talents in perspective by listing the only two things he cared about: Carissa having fun with her surfing and doing well in school. He was serious, too.

"I'm trying to raise a good human being," he said. "Not a good surfer."

Discussing the road ahead of her that day, he knew the gap between the two was often significant. And in the years since, Carissa's inner circle has done a stellar job of keeping those wanting a piece of her at arms length. Granted, their protective instincts haven't always gone over well with the media, marketing directors or even coaches, but there's no denying it's paid off.

Carissa is already one of the top ranked women in the world, and she's not even due to graduate from Punahou High School (President Obama's alma mater) until this June.

Today Carissa Moore knows as well as anyone how fortunate she is to be surfing for a living. She has a deep understanding of the circumstances that helped pave the way for her rise, and clearly, she'll do whatever she can to help others get the same.

Needless to say, pro surfing could use a few more like Moore.


Carissa Moore with the kids of New Zealand's Waitara Bar Boardriders Club. Photo: ASP/Kirstin

FROM ASP
SUNSET BEACH, Oahu/Hawaii (Saturday, November 28, 2009) - Carissa Moore (HAW), 17, won the sixth of seven stops on the ASP Women's World Tour today, the Gidget Pro Sunset Beach, over fellow finalists Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS), 19, freshly crowned three-time ASP Women's World Champion Stephanie Gilmore (AUS), 21, and Vans Triple Crown ratings' leader Alana Blanchard (HAW), 19, to claim her first ASP Women's World Tour event victory.

Moore, who entered the Gidget Pro via a Trials' victory, stamped her authority on ASP Women's World Tour competition when she surfed with amazing poise and maturity throughout the event's entirety to eventually win on her home Island of Oahu.

"It's such an honor," Moore said. "I'm speechless right now. I never thought that I would make the Final in this event. All of the girls were surfing so well and congratulations to Steph (Gilmore) for winning the World Title."

Moore is no stranger to ASP Women's World Tour competition despite her young age, and had already made the Final's at a Roxy Pro Gold Coast event in 2007 when she earned a Runner-Up finish to Chelsea Hedges (AUS), 26. Having entered previous ASP Women's World Tour events in the past as a wildcard, the young Hawaiian looked comfortable in the heightened level of competition.

"It definitely helps having other World Tour experience under my belt," Moore said. "I also know surfing on the North Shore is always going to be challenging and the girls surf at such a sick level and each heat is a clean slate."

The Hawaiian talent also looked comfortable out in the tricky lineup of Sunset Beach and had been receiving some crucial coaching under the wing of Hawaiian legend Pancho Sullivan (HAW).

"My coaches have been such a big help," Moore said. "Having Pancho (Sullivan) out in the water helping me was great."

Fitzgibbons nabbed her first Final appearance of her rookie year on tour and absolutely dominated her bouts, posting the event's highest scores including the only perfect 10-point ride of Gidget Pro competition in the Semifinals to earn her maiden Final berth and finished runner-up to Moore.

"I was really happy to get that wave," Fitzgibbons said. It was tricky. "There were not that many waves in that heat and I was happy to get the score and move on through to Final."

Gilmore, who clinched her third consecutive ASP Women's World Title just minutes before paddling out for the Final, was in amazing form throughout the event's entirety and claimed a third place finish overall.

"There were some legitimate bombs coming in out there," Gilmore said. "I was on a 7'0" all day and just stayed on the North Peak and I knew Carissa has been training with Pancho, so I figured I'd follow her around a little bit."

Blanchard, who is currently leading the Vans Triple Crown ratings, continued to flare throughout Gidget Pro competition and wrapped up a fourth place finish. Her final appearance was no easy task, as she defeated ASP Women's World No. 2 Silvana Lima (BRA), 25, crushing Lima's hopes of an ASP Women's World Title while significantly helping her chances of requalification for the 2010 ASP Women's World Tour.

"I feel bad that I knocked out Silvana (Lima), but there's also a lot on the line for me," Blanchard said. "If I don't do well at the end of the year I'll get knocked off of the tour for next year. This is my best result of the year, so I'm happy."


GIDGET PRO SUNSET BEACH FINAL RESULTS:

1 - Carissa Moore (HAW) 14.24

2 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 13.07

3 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 12.17

4 - Alana Blanchard (HAW) 11.17


ASP WOMEN'S WORLD TOUR RATINGS (After Gidget Pro Sunset Beach):

1 - Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) 5521 pts

2 - Silvana Lima (BRA) 4548 pts

3 - Coco Ho (HAW) 4117 pts

4 - Sofia Mulanovich (PER) 4071 pts

5 - Sally Fitzgibbons (AUS) 3792 pts

6 - Chelsea Hedges (AUS) 3595 pts

7 - Melanie Bartels (HAW) 3333 pts

8 - Paige Hareb (NZL) 2886 pts

9 - Rosanne Hodge (ZAF) 2604 pts

10 - Jacqueline Silva (BRA) 2509 pts

11 - Alana Blanchard (HAW) 2490 pts

12 - Rebecca Woods (AUS) 2431 pts

13 - Samantha Cornish (AUS) 2388

14 - Bruna Schmitz (BRA) 2010 pts

15 - Jessi Miley-Dyer (AUS) 1656 pts

16 - Amee Donohoe (AUS) 1638 pts

17 - Megan Abubo (HAW) 1440

It used to be the women's surfing at the U.S. Open was nothing more than an extended bathroom break. Save for a small handful of women who actually had some decent timing and a little bit of rhythm it was unbelievably painful to watch. Now, I may be dating myself a little bit here, because the girls have certainly turned things around of late, but during the whole Blue Crush movement there wasn't much to sink your teeth into. Yeah, they came in greater numbers but that didn't improve things much in the performance arena...until recently.

14-year old Malia Manuel taking it to the big girls in the 2008 U.S. Open of Surfing. Now 15, she's the youngest defending champion ever, and a threat in both the Nike 6.0 Pro Junior and the Women's Open.

I became a believer in the whole women's thing about two years ago. Not the viability of the sport, mind you, but a believer in their improved board-riding skills. While that's late by most standards but I've come around pretty big. Two years ago I made a bet with guys in the office at SURFER Magazine that a female surfer would qualify for the ASP's World Tour inside of ten years. I was nearly laughed out of the building by Jason Kenworthy, one of SURFER's lead photographers, but I made that wager after having sat through a couple WCT events and having watched Carissa Moore, who at the time, was about 13 or 14-years old. Speaking strictly in terms of style, I picked about 10 guys on the ASP World Tour who I thought were complete eye sores next to Carissa. Granted, they might be putting their boards in more radical places and with more power and speed, but from what I could tell, it was only a matter of time until Carissa, or somebody like her, matured enough to supply the missing ingredients. At the time I remember thinking Carissa was the only really hot young female talent around. Malia Manuel proved me very wrong last year.

Manuel's surfing is on display in the new film Dear and Yonder. It's both elegant and aggressive. Photo: Jimmycane

Coco Ho will be giving her friend Malia a good run this week. Photo: Jimmycane from Dear and Yonder.

At 14-years-old, Malia became the youngest person to ever win an ASP event at the U.S. Open of Surfing. Malia's surfing is elegant yet aggressive. She draws mature lines and uses her edges with precision well beyond her years. But what's even more impressive? She's not alone. In fact, there's a pretty solid crop of young girls looking to completely change the face of surfing on the women's side of the sport. Where as on the men's side there are only two surfers in the entire Top 10 who're under 25 years old, on the women's side of things it's the exact opposite. A New School movement is just hitting. And you needn't look much further than the finals of this year's Nike 6.0 women's Pro Junior to understand what I'm talking about.

Manuel and fellow Hawaiian Coco Ho have already surfed their way into the Pro Junior Final on Saturday, where they'll be joining Sage Erickson of Ventura and Cannelle Bulard of Reunion Island. For what it's worth, both Erickson and Bulard defeated Carissa Moore in the Semifinals. Moore will be out for revenge in the Open while protecting her WQS ratings lead over Coco Ho. This is probably where I should tell you that Jason Kenworthy, who doubles as a team manager for Nike 6.0, was instrumental in nabbing Moore from Roxy. In the two years since we made our bet he's come a long way on the women's thing, too. I knew he was turning the corner when he asked me a couple months ago, "Dude, what's with all these hot chicks?"

The Women's division of the U.S. Open starts Wednesday. My suggestion if you're down there, hit the head early.